1Urging the Secretary of Education and the State Board of2Education to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic standards3are thoroughly rigorous for all Pennsylvania students.

4WHEREAS, Academic standards are statements of what students5are expected to know and to be able to do at specific grade6levels; and

7WHEREAS, The establishment of academic standards is within8the jurisdiction of each state; and

9WHEREAS, Prior to the mid-1990s, Pennsylvania had no10Statewide academic standards for its students; and

11WHEREAS, Pennsylvania began to implement standards-based12education in the mid-1990s; and

13WHEREAS, The State Board of Education adopted Pennsylvania's14first State Standards in Mathematics and in Reading, Writing,15Speaking and Listening in January 1999; and

16WHEREAS, During the years 2002 through 2006, the State Board17of Education adopted additional standards in Science and

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1Technology, History, Health/Safety and Physical Education,2Geography, Family and Consumer Science, Environment and Ecology,3Economics, Civics and Government, Career Education and Work and4Arts and Humanities; and

5WHEREAS, In 2004, several states began collaborating on the6development of common state standards in Mathematics and English7Language Arts; and

8WHEREAS, During the late 2000s, the National Governors9Association, representing all states' chief executives, and the10Council of Chief State School Officers, representing each11state's top government official overseeing education, began to12coordinate the effort to develop common state standards which13effort culminated in the development of the Common Core State14Standards; and

15WHEREAS, The State Board of Education adopted the Common Core16State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts on July171, 2010, replacing the original standards that the State Board18of Education adopted in 1999; and

19WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has proposed20Pennsylvania-specific Common Core State Standards; and

21WHEREAS, Members of the General Assembly are cognizant that22many concerns have been raised by individual Pennsylvanians as23well as various organizations within Pennsylvania about the24adoption of the Common Core State Standards; therefore be it

25RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board26of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic27standards are thoroughly rigorous<-and effective for all28Pennsylvania students; and be it further

29RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board30of Education be urged not to adopt future academic standards

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1that do not meet or exceed the rigor<-and effectiveness of2Pennsylvania's current academic standards; and be it further

3RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board4of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania's academic5standards are adapted to the specific needs of Pennsylvania; and6be it further

7RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board8of Education be urged to consult with Pennsylvania parents,9students, teachers, school administrators, school board members,10representatives of institutions of higher education and business11and community leaders before adopting any new academic12standards; and be it further

13RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board14of Education be urged to ensure that public schools continue to15maintain absolute flexibility in the curriculum that they16provide under Pennsylvania's proud tradition of local control;17and be it further

18RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board19of Education be urged not to establish required reading lists or20in any other way adopt, or attempt to impose, a Statewide21curriculum; and be it further

22RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board23of Education be urged to reject completely and unilaterally any24attempts to subject Pennsylvania students to a national25standardized assessment; and be it further

26RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board27of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania academic28standards are not burdensome and costly to public schools; and29be it further

1of Education be urged to ensure that Pennsylvania academic2standards do not result in intrusion into student and family3privacy or in the collection or reporting of additional data to4the Federal Government; and be it further

<-5RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board6of Education be urged to commit to close consultations with the7Education Committee of the House of Representatives before8taking any further action resulting in the development and9implementation of new academic standards; and be it further

10RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Education and the State Board11of Education be urged to amend any regulations necessary to12effectuate the sentiment of the House of Representatives as13expressed in this resolution.